Lawrence Glenn Mathews Jr., Attorney And Lover Of Words

OBITUARIES

Lawrence Glenn Mathews Jr., an Orlando attorney with a relentless quest to enrich his life with words, marathon miles and volunteer work, died Tuesday.

Mathews, 50, enjoyed a career that included service as Orange County Bar Association president and a prestigious turn as special counsel to U.S. Sen. Bob Graham.

His sister Margaret said Mathews became ill during a weekend trip to Washington, D.C. He entered the hospital Monday and died the next day from complications of kidney failure, she said.

Mathews, an Army Airborne veteran who served in Vietnam and was awarded the Bronze Star and other medals, will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery next to his father. Mathews' father was an Army officer who died in a car crash at the age of 41.

Born in Ocala, Mathews earned his undergraduate and law degrees at the University of Florida.

As a trial lawyer and partner in the firm of Mathews, Railey, DeCubellis & Goodwin, Mathews offered himself for numerous volunteer tasks, including work on the Florida Supreme Court Commission for Racial and Ethnic Bias.

He was a member of the Florida Bar Board of Governors.

His choice of recreation reflected Mathew's drive to excel. While in his mid-30s, Mathews was an exceptional marathon runner in his age group.

''He was a workhorse, and like a lot of runners he had to work hard at putting in miles,'' said Jon Hughes, a friend and an owner of the Track Shack in Orlando.

Eventually, Mathews gave up his running shoes for a garden. Yet a greater pleasure was reading.